StevieSnacks Free Blues Guitar Lessons Feed

Reverse Raking Technique

Anthony — Fri, 27 Jan 2012 19:29:30 +0000

In this lesson you'll learn about a technique called reverse raking that gives your notes a very cool sound. Used by SRV, Kenny Wayne Shepherd, John Mayer, Jimi Hendrix and others.

blog comments powered by Disqus

Silent Night Blues Solo

Anthony — Fri, 23 Dec 2011 18:44:07 +0000

Last year for Christmas, I taught you some Hendrix/SRV style chords for the Silent Night melody. This year, I'm teaching a SRV-influenced solo to play over 1 chorus of the melody.

Buy the backing track in Tunes or at Amazon

Watch last year's lesson: "Silent Night Hendrix/SRV Style Lesson"

blog comments powered by Disqus

Freddie's Influence Free Lesson

Anthony — Fri, 16 Dec 2011 16:49:23 +0000

In this video you'll learn 4 Freddie King licks, using samples directly from my new lesson series, Freddie's Influence. If you like what you see here, please check out the full lesson series.

If you buy before 12/25, you'll save $20 on either the downloads or 2 DVD set.

blog comments powered by Disqus

Thanksgiving Ballad Critique

Anthony — Fri, 02 Dec 2011 21:18:49 +0000

I attempt to point out every single mistake I made in the video I posted last week for Thanksgiving.

blog comments powered by Disqus

Thanksgiving Ballad 2011

Anthony — Fri, 25 Nov 2011 00:27:37 +0000

For the past two years, I've done Thanksgiving Day videos using a ballad style backing track that's a slighly modified version of "While We Cry" by Kenny Wayne Shepherd. This year I just decided to post a video of me playing along.

So much of my time is spent planning and shooting lessons, I sometimes forget to just play the guitar, no lessons, no breakdown, just playing. Today it just felt like I needed to play instead of teach. I hope you enjoy it :-)

Download this recording as an mp3

blog comments powered by Disqus

How To Improve A Boring Blues Rhythm

Anthony — Fri, 18 Nov 2011 20:39:19 +0000

We've all heard that typical chunk-a-chunk blues rhythm played to death. Just because it's overdone, doesn't mean we shouldn't try to improve it. In this lesson I'll show you 6 different ways to play the same fundamental rhythm.

blog comments powered by Disqus

Jimmy Page Blues Lick

Anthony — Fri, 11 Nov 2011 20:14:27 +0000

In this lesson you'll learn a Jimmy Page blues lick, as played during the Rock and Roll Hall Of Fame induction for Led Zeppelin. Played in Box 3, it offers a slightly different feel from what you may be used to.

blog comments powered by Disqus

KWS "Never Lookin' Back" Strumming

Anthony — Fri, 04 Nov 2011 18:31:30 +0000

In this video you'll learn the fast, syncopated, strumming that Kenny Wayne Shepherd does at the end of his hit single "Never Looking Back".

blog comments powered by Disqus

Learn 4 B.B. King Licks

Anthony — Fri, 21 Oct 2011 17:15:41 +0000

This lesson video contains excerpts from my B.B.'s Influence lesson series, available today. You'll learn 4 of the licks taught in that lesson series.

If you like this lesson, you'll love the full series, you can check it out here: B.B.'s Influence Lesson Series.

blog comments powered by Disqus

Freddie King Texas Guitar Boogie

Anthony — Fri, 14 Oct 2011 17:26:15 +0000

Learn the boogie rhythm featured in one of the most popular Freddie King videos on YouTube. No picks, just your fingers. A simple rhythm, but very difficult to play.

blog comments powered by Disqus

SRV "So Excited" Picking Drill

Anthony — Fri, 07 Oct 2011 02:50:33 +0000

Sometimes when playing "So Excited" live, Stevie Ray Vaughan would do an entire solo chorus playing a 4 string pattern on the fretboard, repeating the pattern over the I, IV and V chord. In this lesson I'll show you what this pattern is, and how to play it with alternate picking strokes. It makes an excellent drill for improving your picking technique.

blog comments powered by Disqus

SRV Box 1 Continuous Vibrato

Anthony — Fri, 23 Sep 2011 20:16:20 +0000

When playing in Box 1, especially during slow blues songs, Stevie Ray Vaughan would do this thing where he's pause on several notes during his descent, using heavy vibrato whenever he paused. That's what we'll look at in this lesson.

blog comments powered by Disqus

Chris Duarte Lick Lesson - Letter To My Girlfriend

Anthony — Fri, 09 Sep 2011 15:49:10 +0000

One of my favorite tracks from Chris Duarte's Texas Sugar/Strat Magik album is his cover of "Letter To My Girlfriend". His take on the song featured a slightly different timing and feel to the opening lick. That is what you'll learn in this lesson.

blog comments powered by Disqus

Unlocking Speed In Box 1

Anthony — Fri, 26 Aug 2011 15:29:45 +0000

If you want to increase your speed in Box 1, you will need to master this simple lick, it serves as the gateway to so many other fast licks in this shape.

blog comments powered by Disqus

Improve Your Phrasing - Box 5

Anthony — Fri, 19 Aug 2011 14:16:13 +0000

In this final lesson in the Improve Your Phrasing Series, we take a look at Box 5, and I show you all the places you should be looking to end your licks over the I, IV and V chords, but in a ballad context, rather than a 12 bar blues context.

blog comments powered by Disqus

Improve Your Phrasing - Box 4

Anthony — Fri, 12 Aug 2011 16:17:09 +0000

The fourth lesson in a free series from StevieSnacks.com about where to end your licks in each of the 5 Essential Blues Boxes. If you're not familiar with the 5 Essential Blues Boxes, you can learn more here: http://www.steviesnacks.com/5-essential-blues-boxes

blog comments powered by Disqus

Improve Your Phrasing - Box 3

Anthony — Fri, 05 Aug 2011 18:01:04 +0000

The third lesson in this free series of guitar lessons, focuses on phrasing in the Box 3 shape, which I like to call the "B.B. King Box".

Remember, the way I draw Box 3 comes from my "5 Essential Blues Boxes" and "Essential Fretboard" lesson series, not from blues scales.

blog comments powered by Disqus

Improve Your Phrasing - Box 2

Anthony — Fri, 22 Jul 2011 16:48:55 +0000

The second lesson in this free series of guitar lessons, focuses on phrasing in the Box 2 shape, which I like to call the "Albert King Box".

blog comments powered by Disqus

Improve Your Phrasing - Box 1

Anthony — Fri, 08 Jul 2011 21:38:53 +0000

A lot of people ask me what notes should be used for ending licks, in order to have good phrasing. I have not covered this topic very extensively, so this lesson is a more in-depth look at phrasing in Box 1. Future lessons will explore this same topic in the other boxes.

blog comments powered by Disqus

Cool SRV Box 3 Lick

Anthony — Fri, 01 Jul 2011 20:50:57 +0000

A cool SRV lick that you can use at Bar #5 of a 12 bar blues progression, over the IV chord.

blog comments powered by Disqus

Texas Flood Sliding Double Stops

Anthony — Fri, 17 Jun 2011 16:25:30 +0000

Here's the cool sounding lick from the Album version of Texas Flood by Stevie Ray Vaughan, played during the last verse.

blog comments powered by Disqus

SRV Glissando Technique

Anthony — Fri, 10 Jun 2011 17:06:25 +0000

In this short lesson I show you the sliding technique (glissando) that Stevie Ray Vaughan used to accent the beginnings and endings of certain licks. Maintaining firm pressure while sliding down the neck is key for doing this technique successfully.

blog comments powered by Disqus

Repeating Lick From SRV's Lenny

Anthony — Fri, 03 Jun 2011 16:39:30 +0000

In the middle of the song "Lenny", Stevie played a fast repeating lick on the low E and A strings. In this lesson I'll show you how simple it is to play, and how to use it in Box 1 in other keys.

blog comments powered by Disqus

Fat Finger Pickin Tone

Anthony — Fri, 27 May 2011 17:40:06 +0000

A simple guide to using your thumb and index finger to fatten up your guitar tone, while also getting that SRV / Albert King style snap on your notes. Gear details are below the video. If you're watching this before June 4, 2011, I mention the 2011 NY Amp Show which you can read about here.

Gear

2005 SRV Strat
D'addario Strings, custom guages (.11 .15 .19 .32 .42 .52)
Samamp VAC23 1x15 Combo amp
Creation Audio Labs Holy Fire and MK.4.23 Boost

blog comments powered by Disqus

4 Albert King Style Licks

Anthony — Fri, 20 May 2011 21:31:50 +0000

In this free lesson, you'll learn 4 licks from the Albert's Influence lesson series. If you like this video, you'll love the full series.

You'll see some of the features that make this my best series of lessons yet. A progression counter to help with timing and phrasing, slow-motion replay of all licks, video tablature, and as always, note-for-note instruction.

If you like this video, please check out Albert's Influence.

blog comments powered by Disqus

The Improvisation Myth

Anthony — Fri, 13 May 2011 21:06:00 +0000

In this 20 minute lesson, I'll attempt to diffuse a common myth about improvisation, and explain in a very practical way, how improvising on guitar is very much like talking without a script. I'll break guitar solos down into 4 parts and explain how one missing part that we don't think about often can be the key to learning how to improvise.

Download the backing track used in this lesson.

blog comments powered by Disqus

10 Rules For Blues Soloing

Anthony — Fri, 06 May 2011 22:01:41 +0000

This lesson presents an opinionated set of 10 'rules' for blues guitar soloing. As you get more experience, you will learn how to break many of these rules, and sound good in the process. But until you reach the point where you know how to do that, these rules point the way towards tasteful, more enjoyable blues soloing.

I hope nothing in this video offends anyone, but if it does, please consider that sometimes, being offended is a sign that someone is telling us something we don't want to hear. I would not be where I am today if I wasn't my own strict critic, and the things you hear in this video are the kinds of things I tell myself every time I play.

Download the 10 Rules PDF

blog comments powered by Disqus

That SRV Voodoo Chile' Sliding Lick

Anthony — Sat, 30 Apr 2011 00:19:57 +0000

In this lesson I break down that sliding lick that SRV did on his cover of the Jimi Hendrix tune "Voodoo Chile' (Slight Return)". The focus of the lesson is the different techniques that are used to descend and ascend the fretboard on the G string, without using your pick. All the energy in the string comes from slides, hammer-ons, and pull-offs.

blog comments powered by Disqus

It Won't Last

Anthony — Fri, 22 Apr 2011 20:09:14 +0000

Being on a stage, playing your best, in front of an appreciative crowd feels great. But it doesn't last long once the show is over. You'll know how you really see yourself when the crowd has gone home.

blog comments powered by Disqus

Funky Blues Rhythm Lesson

Anthony — Fri, 15 Apr 2011 19:00:48 +0000

In this lesson I teach you a funky 12-bar blues rhythm. The rhythm uses a call and response beween the low notes and the high notes of the chords. A bit of sliding and some syncopation give it a funky sound.